Sunset Park Violin Program on the Rise!
After school on a Monday, most elementary students will be ready to leave the classroom after a long day of learning. But at P.S. 24 in Brooklyn, a group of 17 third and fourth graders stay late to participate in weekly violin lessons with S'Cool Sounds (SCS) Teaching Artist Sam Bardfeld.
P.S. 24 is a medium-sized elementary school in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. It is a dual-language school (Spanish and English), with many families coming from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Now in its second year, Sam's violin program honors the diversity of the school community by integrating repertoire from students' home cultures. For example, the third graders have been hard at work preparing the traditional Dominican song "Compadre Pedro Juan." They will perform this alongside "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" at their upcoming concert, where the fourth graders will feature two Mexican favorites, "La Bamba" and "Cielito Lindo."
Earlier this year, the fourth graders performed the latter in a packed auditorium for the District 15 Arts Fair. Sam noted: "The students performed wonderfully and got a huge ovation. Their pride and their parent's pride was palpable." With just 45 minutes of class time per week, this accomplishment is a testament to the excellence of both students and teacher.
Family engagement has been key in building a thriving program. While the students use violins provided free-of-charge by SCS, the support and encouragement of their parents/guardians is invaluable. As Sam remarked, "No one takes the opportunity for granted, and everyone appreciates playing the familiar repertoire."
With the resounding success of the program for the past two years, there is momentum to expand to additional grades. This will allow current students to continue their studies in fourth or fifth grade while also welcoming beginners in third grade. Violin is truly on the rise in Sunset Park!
KENYA TRIP UPDATE
Meanwhile in Nairobi, excitement is building for the highly anticipated program-building trip, which will bring together U.S.- and Kenya-based SCS faculty in just over a month!
SCS Kenya Teaching Artist Julius Odhiambo Otieno recently shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming visit, saying: “Nairobi is happy and excited as we anticipate the coming of Nina, Nancy, and Ru to Kenya. We have been awaiting this for a very long time, and finally it is here. My expectation is to be able to learn even more from them and also be able to share our teaching journey since they left us.”
Your donation will support teacher professional development, student performances, community outreach, new instruments, and more. Make a contribution today to help us reach our $7,000 fundraising goal!
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Last summer, Sam Bardfeld brought his jazz trio to the Sunset Park branch of the Brooklyn Public Library—less than a mile away from P.S. 24! Check out this video of their performance.
